


A Tale of Three Injuries

by carolej126, SueN, TeriH



Series: Spring in the world! And all things are made new! [1]
Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: Gen, Humor, Magnificent Seven AU: ATF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-02-08 15:14:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18625834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carolej126/pseuds/carolej126, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SueN/pseuds/SueN, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeriH/pseuds/TeriH
Summary: Written by the Mod Squad (otherwise known as Carole, Sue, and Teri), in response to a VinList Finish the Story Challenge.A challenge to use the same opening section and create 3 totally different stores in 3 universes.Getting to the bottom of the story is half the fun.





	A Tale of Three Injuries

_Chris Larabee looked out over the landscape. This was the time of the day he had always enjoyed. The sun in the distance was starting to sink below the horizon painting the sky in shades of pink and purple against a brilliant blue background. It had been a beautiful day, clear and crisp with only the occasional cloud. Now that winter was finally letting go its grip the sun’s warmth had started to coax the first sprigs of green to appear. Spring was just around the corner and with it the renewal of life._

_“Coffee?” Buck Wilmington questioned as he slipped through the door, letting it bang shut in his wake. The question was rather redundant as he handed a steaming cup to his longtime friend and lowered his lanky frame into one of the two available chairs. “Should I ask what’s on your mind?”_

_A smile pulled at the corner of Chris’ lips and he chuckled. “Actually, I was thinking I’ve been spending too much time with Josiah lately.”_

_“Ah, so you got the, ‘ **Spring in the world! And all things are made new!’** talk from Josiah too…. What?” Buck feigned innocence at Chris’ questioning look._

_“Buck?”_

_“Well the ladies love that poetic talk,” Buck admitted, “so I had Josiah write it down for me.”_

_Chris took another sip of the hot coffee savoring its bitter taste and the warmth it offered. With the setting sun the temperature had begun to dip drastically and the man once again turned to look out into the quickly settling darkness._

_“It’s going to be a cold one again tonight.”_

_Buck noted the concern that had unknowingly crept into the man’s voice. “Your worrying ain’t going to get ‘em home faster, Chris.”_

~~~~~~~

“Knew better than to let those three take off on their own,” Chris grumbled. “If we’re late for this fundraiser, Mary will never let me hear the end of it. “

“Hell, Chris, you can sweet talk Mary. It’s Evie Travis worries me.”

“Never thought I’d hear Buck Wilmington worry about charming a lady,” Josiah laughed as he stepped out onto the porch.

“It’s not charming Mrs. Travis that’s the issue.” Nathan grinned as he fastened the middle button of his suit coat.

“It’s the fact that if Mrs. Travis is upset you know Director Travis will be on the warpath.”

“Could sure use a drink,” Chris muttered.

“Hey, Stud, you were the one decreed no hard liquor until _after_ the presentation,” Buck reminded. “Now if you’d like to rescind that rule I have just the thing to give that coffee a bit of a kick.”

One look from Chris was enough to make Buck tuck the flask back into his pocket.

Suddenly the strains of “I’m Too Sexy” rang out and Buck reached for his cell phone.

“Saved by the bell.” Josiah smiled.

“It’s from JD,” Buck explained as he read the text message, “says they’re running late and will meet us there.” Reaching over he took the coffee cup from Chris. “Best get on our way.”

The men climbed into the black Dodge Ram and were soon on their way.

*******

Chris hadn’t said a word since arriving at the Mountainside Country Club but continued to look at his watch every few minutes.

“Okay, we’re here, so where are _they_?” Nathan’s tone held more than a little censure.

“They said they’d be here,” Josiah reassured. “Wait, isn’t that Ezra’s Jag?”

The sleek vehicle pulled to a stop in front of the building and the men watched and waited as the three youngest members of Team Seven stepped from the car. While all three looked quite dapper in their evening attire it was clear that something was not quite right. For one thing, JD seemed to be favoring his right foot.

“What the hell?” Chris exclaimed, as Ezra turned toward them and handed his keys to the valet. Even from the distance it was clear to see that one eye was almost completely swollen shut.

“That’s gonna be a beaut, Ez,” Buck proclaimed and gave a soft whistle as the three approached.

“Son, what happened?” Josiah asked.

“ _That_ you’ll have to ask, _Mr. Tanner_ , and it is _Ez-Ra_ if you don’t mind, Mr. Wilmington,” Ezra stated as he moved past the men and into the building with as much dignity as he could muster.

“Ah, come on, Ez. It was an accident,” Vin slurred, drawing attention to his split and rather fat lip, as he helped JD up the last step and followed Ezra into the building. “I told you to duck.”

Following the three into the building, Chris grabbed a glass of Champagne off of the tray of a passing waiter and quickly downed its content.

*******

Five minutes later, Larabee was wishing for a stronger drink.

While Josiah and Nathan were chatting amiably with the fundraiser participants, and Buck was scoring phone numbers as he circulated amongst the women, the other three members of his team were drawing a different kind of attention.

Doing his best imitation of Hopalong Cassidy, JD was limping across the floor, the untouched wine in his glass sloshing from side to side and decorating the floor.

Ezra was wearing sunglasses – designer label, of course, and apparently retrieved from somewhere within his tuxedo – and standing along the back wall, sipping from his flask.

Vin was… Chris shook his head.

Vin was scooping ice out of one of the ice buckets with his fingers, and holding the slippery cubes to his lip, oblivious to the bloody water dripping down his face.

“Chris?”

At the touch on his arm, Larabee turned around, only to find Orin Travis standing beside him.

“Do I even want to know?”

“Probably not,” Chris admitted. “I haven’t even heard the story yet.”

“Well,” Travis continued, “when you do, fill me in. I’m sure this tale will be more interesting than anything else I’ve dealt with this week.”

Chris snorted. “Yes, sir.” He blew out his breath in resignation, then headed toward Vin.

“Hey, Cowboy,” Vin drawled. He lifted another handful of ice to his mouth.

“Will you stop that,” Chris snapped, “You’re making a mess.”

Vin wiped his face with the back of his hand, looking at the floor sheepishly. “Oops.”

“Yeah, oops.” Chris rolled his eyes. “You wanna tell me what happened to your face?”

“Robin Hood here took it upon himself to aid a damsel in distress,” Ezra offered, sliding from the shadows. “And said damsel was accompanied by a two hundred and fifty pound – built like a tank, I might add – fiancé.”

“She never said she was engaged, Ezra,” JD chimed in. “Vin was just trying to help her out.” He staggered a step closer. “We couldn’t just leave her there at the gas station with no money or a ride home.”

“Ah, yes, a most believable scenario,” Ezra said scornfully.

“So…” Chris asked.

JD shrugged. “Her fiancé got mad and took a swing at Vin.”

“And that’s how Vin got that.” Chris motioned toward Vin’s lip.

“Not exactly.” Wobbling in place, JD shook his head. “He missed, and then when he tried again, Vin swung on him.”

“And that’s how-“ Chris tried again.

“Nope. That’s when she started screaming that Vin was gonna hurt her boyfriend. She kinda went crazy, and shoved Ezra from behind.” He waved his arms wildly in demonstration, dousing everyone with the remnants of his drink. “Ezra never saw it comin’.”

“I told ya to duck.”

Chris blinked. “Wait a minute, you mean _you_ hit Ezra?”

“I was tryin’…”

“But, how’d you get that?” Chris interrupted, waving at Vin’s lip.

Ezra lifted his flask in a mock salute. “Yes, Mr. Tanner, please elucidate. I believe I was insensate at the time.”

“Insensate, are you saying you were unconscious for a period?” Nathan asked as he and Josiah approached in time to hear Ezra’s comment. “Why didn’t someone tell me immediately? We need to get you to the hospital for x-rays.”

“Nathan, I assure…”

“Yeah, he went down like a rock,” JD volunteered.

 _“Thanks for your support, JD_.”

“Drinking with a possible head injury,” Nathan wrestled the flask from the disgruntled southerner and shoved it at Josiah, “you don’t have the sense that God gave a stump.”

”Now see here, Mr. Jackson…”

Ezra’s reply was cut short by a stab of pain as the medic removed the designer glasses and started, none to gently to examine Ezra’s eye.

Vin started to back away, afraid that he would be next on Nathan’s list now that the man was in medic mode. However his retreat was cut short as he was pinned by Larabee’s steely glare.

“Lip?”

“Well, like JD said, Ez went down like a shot. Not sure if it was that or the sirens but ‘the tank’ and his girl decided to cut and run.”

“Sirens?”

“Guess the attendant called the police.” Vin shrugged. “Anyway they jumped on his Harley and took off.”

“You neglected to mention that in his haste to leave the cretin struck our colleague with said Harley thus running over Agent Dunne’s foot.”

Ezra’s comment achieved his desired result as Nathan turned and promptly pushed JD into a chair before kneeling to examine the young man’s swollen and discolored appendage.

“What’s going on?” Buck asked as he sauntered over to the group, tucking a small black book into his jacket pocket.

With a smug smile, Standish reached over and retrieved his flask from Josiah. “Vin was about to divulge how he acquired _his_ injuries.”

“Oh, that,” Vin hedged, shooting daggers at Standish.

“Yes, that!” The exasperation was clear in their leader’s voice.

“I can’t recall, Vin, what with my memory being a bit fuzzy and all, was that before or after you were arrested?”

Ezra feigned a look of innocence as he tipped the silver flask to his lips, only to have said flask ripped from his grip.

Chris welcomed the sharp burn of scotch as it rolled down his throat.

Handing the drained flask back to its disgruntled owner, Chris turned his full attention to Vin.

“You were arrested?” he hissed.

“No, I wasn’t,” Vin protested, throwing another glare at Ezra, “not hardly.”

“What the Hell do you mean, _not hardly_?”

“Well, when the police arrived, Ez was out cold and JD was down, so I guess they kinda homed in on me as the last man standin’.”

“And?”

“And nothin’,” Vin stated defiantly, “Soon as I got ‘em to look at my badge, they took the cuffs off an’ let me go. By then, Ez was awake an’ snarkin’ an’ JD was hoppin’ around, so they figured we didn’t need the ambulance an’ cancelled the call.”

“I do not _snark_ , Mr. Tanner, and I resent the…”

The colour that had drained from Chris’ face at the mention of the cuffs and ambulance returned with a vengeance as he tried desperately to hold onto his temper.

“Can it, Ezra,” Chris snapped, not taking his eyes from Vin.

“What - happened - to - your - lip?” he ground out, determined to get an answer this time, even if he had to beat it out of him.

“In a way, it was your fault,” Vin began, and Josiah closed his eyes and began to pray quietly, while Buck’s grin grew even wider. “See, by now we’s runnin’ late an’ I knew you’d be getting’ pissed, so I told Ez to gas the car an’ I ran into the shop to pay for it.” Pausing, Vin cricked his neck to look around Chris at Ezra. “An’ I didn’t mean fill the tank, Ez. D’ya know how much….”

“Tanner…” The growl was low and menacing.

“Well, turns out the lady attendant was the nervous type an’ when she saw me run away from the cops an’ come burstin’ into her shop, she took a swing at me with the baseball bat she keeps under the counter.”

Nathan was back on his feet in an instant.

“She hit you with a baseball bat? In the face?”

“Nope,” Vin took another look around Chris to smirk at Ezra, “I ducked.”

“And?” Chris prompted, wearily.

“And when I got the bat away from her an’ explained everythin’ she was real apologetic… an’ she kissed me.”

Chris quirked an eyebrow.

Vin sighed.

“And she wouldn’t stop, okay? Was like havin’ a sucker fish stuck to my face. Got to the point where I couldn’t breathe, so I tried to pull away but she bit onto my lip an’ held on.”

It started with a snicker, then a chuckle, then five men burst into uproarious laughter.

“Yeah, laugh it up guys,” Vin sighed resignedly, and turned himself over to Nathan’s ministrations.

“She bit you? Are you up to date with your shots?”

*******

Several hours later, the presentation over, Buck passed Vin his flask and watched the younger man wince as the liquor stung his lip.

“So, which gas station was it you boys stopped at?”


End file.
